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My 20lb dog ate xylitol pastilles. How much is toxic for them?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 20 lbs

hello i had some pastilles that contained xylitol (.004mg per pastille). i saw online that the toxic dosage for dogs would be 1mg/kg is that true? would one pastille be bad? how many pastilles would it take to cause damage to a 20lb dog??(this didn’t happen!! just wondering to get more knowledge about this issue!)

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 3rd, 2019

Thank you for your question. Based on experience at the ASPCA APCC (animal poison control center), dogs ingesting > 0.1 g/kg of xylitol should be considered at risk for developing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), while doses of > 0.5 g/kg may be hepatotoxic (damaging to the liver). This would be equal to 100 mg/kg. If a 20 lb (9kg) dog ate .004mg of xylitol, this would be a dose of 0.0004 mg per kg so not toxic.

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It takes very little xylitol to cause signs of toxicity in dogs. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) has reported that dogs who ingest between 50 and 100 mg/kg should receive decontamination and monitoring. Dogs ingesting greater than 100 mg/kg of xylitol should be considered at risk for hypoglycemia and should be treated aggressively. At doses exceeding 500 mg/kg, there is risk of liver failure and very serious effects. So, for a 20# (9kg) dog the toxic dose would be between 450mg and 900mg. Max would have had to ingest between 112,500 to 225,000 of those pastilles if they each have 0.004mg of xylitol/pastille for it to be a toxic dose.

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